Frame and closure therefor



July 15, 1947. s, Qw 2,423,987

' FRAME AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Filed Sgpt. 17, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l ilmuN LEVlHCIW,

July 15, 1947. 5 ow 2,423,987

FRAME AND CLOSURE THEREFOR I Filed Sept. 17, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 15, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to frames and foldable closures therefor for use as doors, window and the like in residences, apartments, school buildings, oflice buildings, warehouses, or wherever devices of this character can be used. One object of the invention is to provide a closure consisting of open sections which may be provided with foraminous material for ventilating purposes, or closed with glass or other suitable material for excluding the weather.

A further object is to arrange the frame and the closure so that the sections of the latter may be folded out of the way when adjusted to open position.

Another object is to provide means for automatically folding the closure after one end thereof is manually released from the frame. A further object is to provide the frame with means for guiding the closure while being folded to open position or extended to closed position.

Other objects will hereinafter appear and in order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a broken detail perspective view of a portion of the frame.

Fig. 4 is a broken perspective view of a portion of the foldable closure.

Fig. 5 is a broken longitudinal section of a spring-actuated roller for automatically folding the closure.

Fig, 6 is a broken perspective view of a springactuated roller, a portion of the closure, and one of a pair of flexible elements which connect the roller and the closure.

Referring in detail to the different parts, 2 designates an open frame which is preferably of rectangular configuration and consists of a pair of side walls 4, a transverse bottom strip 6 uniting the lower ends of said side Walls 4, and a housing 8 uniting the upper portions of the side walls 4. The housing 8 consists of a top wall l0, front and rear flanges l2 and I4, respectively, depending from said top walll0, and triangular panels I6 forming the side walls of the housing.

The panels l6 are provided at their front margins with guide flanges I8 which incline downward and backward from the lower edge of the flange l2 to the upper ends of a pair of vertical guides 20 at the front margins of the side walls '4. The guide 20 are spaced a short distance in advance of a pair of vertical intermediate guides 22 to leave ways 24, and the guides 22 lower ends of the flanges l8 to the bottom of'the frame 2, and the flanges 22 and 25 extend from the bottom of the frame 2 to the top Wall l0, and are fixed to the respective side walls 4.

The foldable closure 28, which is operably mounted in the frame 2, comprises a plurality of superimposed rectangular open sections 30, horizontally-disposed rods 32 and 34 to which the longitudinal margins of the sections 30 are hingedly connected as indicated at 36, and a transverse bottom plate 38. The ends of the rods 32 are bent forward to enter and traverse the ways 24, and the ends of the rods 34 are straight and traverse the ways 26. The rods 32 are bent as stated, 50 that when the closure is being opened the ends of the rods 32 will successively contact the deflectors 2| and move the associated sections 30 to an oblique position and thus insure folding of the closure as it is moved upward to the dotted line position shown at the upper portion of Fig. 2. The ends of the lowermost rod 34 are hingedly connected to the rear portion of the bottom plate 38 by metallic straps 40. The transverse plate 38 is maintained in a horizontal position by a downturned rear flange 4|, the ends of which are slidable in the respective ways 26. An upturned flange 42 is formed integral with the front portion of the bottom plate 38, which is arranged to pass just outside of the front housing flange I2 when the closure 28 is folded upward to the dotted line position, Fig. 2. The uppermost rod 34 is hinged to the under side of the top wall It] by metallic straps 44. The open sections 30 may be covered with any suitable material, such for instance as the Woven wire 48 shown by Fig. 1, or the glass panels 50 disclosed by Fig. 4.

The closure 28 is automatically raised to folded position by a spring-actuated roller 52 and a pair of flexible elements such as tapes 54. The roller 52 is mounted in the upper rear portion of the housing 8 and provided with a tensioned internal spring 56 to keep the tapes taut. The tapes 54 are secured at their upper ends to the roller 52 and at their lower ends to the lowermost rod 34. position the closure 28 is secured by suitable means such as spring-actuated latches 59 mounted upon the bottom strip 15 of the frame 2, and extending at their forward ends through apertures 59 in the lower portion of the flange M The operation, briefly stated, is as follows: If it is desired to open the closure from the closed position disclosed by Figs. 1 and 2, the latches 58 are disengaged from the flange 4 l whereupon the roller 52 winds the tapes 54 thereon until checked by the bottom plate 38 contacting the front flange ll of the housing 8. As the sections 30 move upward. the ends of the rods 32 contact the deflectors 2i and are moved forward, thus moving the associated sections 39 to oppositely-disposed oblique positions so that continued upward movement will result in the sections 30 being successively folded in the housing 8, where the closure will be protected from the elements by said housing and the bottom plate 39; When the closure is to be extended to. closed position the flange 4| is grasped andpulled into engagement with the latches 58; As the sections unfold the rear ends of all but the lowermost section are-successively retarded by the shoulders 54 of a pair of resilient detents 62', thus permitting the forward ends of the: sections 30 to move down ahead of the rear ends and causing the sections to successively unfold. As shown by Fig. 2; the detents 62 are secured at their upper ends to the underside of housing top wall It].

From the foregoing description it is apparent that I have provided a frame and closure therefor embodying the advantages above pointed out, and: while I have shown one form of the invention I reserve all right to such other forms and modifications thereof as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the inventionas claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising an. open rectangular frame, a foldable closure for said frame comprising a plurality of superposed sections successively hingedly joined to each other, said closure being adapted to be folded toopen the frame and extended to close When extended downward to closed the frame, means operably connecting one end of said closure to the frame, guides on the frame for each alternate section joint, guides on the frame for the other section joints, and deflecting means on the frame fixed to certain of said guides for successively adjusting the sections to an oblique position to insure folding thereof against each other as the closure is moved to open position.

2. A device of the character described comprising an open frame, a closure for said frame comprising a plurality of superposed sections, means hingedly connecting the uppermost section to said frame, horizontally disposed rods to which said sections are successively hingedly joined so that the closure may be folded to open position or extended to closed position, the ends of each alternate rod being bent forward, guide means on the frame in which the ends of the rods travel when the closure is being folded and unfolded, and deflectors projecting from certain of said guide means into the path of. the above-mentioned bent ends of alternate rods for successively adjusting the sections to an oblique position and thus insure folding of the closure when moved to open position.

3. A device of the character described: comprising a frame provided at its upper portion with a housing open at its underside, a foldable closure for said frame adapted to be opened from and folded into said housing, means securing the upper. end of the closure in the'h'ousing, and a transverseiplate connected to the lower portion of said closure and adapted" to close the; lower. open portion of the housing when the closure is folded.

SIMON LEVIKOW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date.

474,259 Murdock May 3-, 1892 1,992,006 Greegor Feb. 19, 1935 788,761 Erwood May 2, 1905 1,927,294 Perrigo Sept. 19, 1933 

